Allocated
RAAF serial A58-213. (Source: 2)
There is photographic evidence that the aeroplane was still painted as LZ844
when it was being converted to components after the accident which ended
its RAAF service i.e. it was never painted as A58-213. (Source: 4)

Received
at 26RSU ex 79 Sqn. (Source: 2)
Main party of 12RSU arrived at Kiriwina. (Source: 3)

12JAN44

26RSU
report that aircraft is not considered economically repairable and parts
required urgently for servicing other aircraft. (Source: 2)

17JAN44

Allotted
12RSU ex 26RSU. (Source: 2)

30JAN44

Issued
to 12RSU ex 26RSU. (Source: 2)

30JAN44

Received
at 12RSU ex 26RSU. (Source: 2)

31JAN44

Damaged
fuselage was photographed by John Harrison in the hangar of 12RSU at Kiriwina.
The aircraft carried the serial LZ844 and was coded UP-X. (Source: 4)
This confirms that the aircraft was never painted as A58-213.

04MAR44

AMSE
approve conversion to components. (Source: 2)

09MAR44

RAAF
HQ approve conversion to components. (Source: 2)

The
aircraft was converted to components and the remainder of the airframe abandoned
at Kiriwina.

74

A
recovery expedition, principally funded by David Tallichet, was mounted
in New Guinea to recover US built machines. As part of this expedition,
or as a side trip, Monty Armstrong, the principal recovery engineer, located
Spitfire components on Kiriwina Island. (Source: 5)

77

The
Spitfire components were shipped to a collection point at Lae and then onward
to New Zealand where they were stored in a covered area at Ardmore in the
custody of Monty Armstrong. (Source: 5)

c.78

A
fuselage and possibly one wing were shipped to Barry Coran in Melbourne,
Australia. When located on Kiriwina, this fuselage was described as a Castle
Bromwich built fuselage from firewall to behind the cockpit with a large
portion of the port fuselage side structure missing. Period photos show
that the fuselage was bead blasted soon after arrival in Australia. Barry
Coran has no knowledge of data plates associated with this fuselage. From
the configuration of the lower fuselage spar, the aircraft was confirmed
as a Mk V and, by inference of associated parties, of Castle Bromwich rather
than Westland production. (Source: 5)

23DEC96

Rolled
out at Point Cook after restoration. Painted in RAF camouflage as R6915
and coded PR-U. The real R6915 is a Mk IA which is extant at the Imperial
War Museum, in the UK. (Source: 7)

"Although now fitted with a Mk VIII long bearer, cowlings and four
blade prop by Barry Coran, the aircraft is actually a Mk V, by virtue of
the common hole size in the lower wing boom/fuselage spar. An exhaustive
study of the 79 Squadron ORB, counting them all out and counting them all
in, together with period photographic support suggests with 95% probability
that this aircraft is LZ844 beyond reasonable doubt." (Source: 5)

The four-bladed prop is a Barracuda unit contributed to the project by the
Queensland Air Museum.

97

Loaned
to the RAAF Museum, Point Cook. (Source: 7)

10SEP99

An
Australian export permit was granted for a "Supermarine Spitfire aircraft
(composite - unknown mark) not flying". This may or may not refer to
LZ844. (Source: 10)

20OCT02

Trucked
from Point Cook to Essendon. (Source: 7)

17FEB03

Auctioned
at Avalon Airport by Fowles Auction Group. The aircraft had been on display
at the Avalon Air Show on the days leading up to the auction. Bidding was
opened at $400,000 (the reserve price) and progressively lowered to $50,000
but there were no bidders and the aircraft was passed in. (Source: 6)

APR03

Noted
at Avalon in open storage covered by tarpaulins. (Source: 6)

22MAY03

Sold
to Aviation Australia. (Source: 8)

10JUN03

Arrived
at the Aviation Australia facility at Brisbane Airport by road. (Source:
8)

OCT06

To
FEB07 the aircraft underwent further repairs and preservation by AA students
and staff and was repainted in RAAF camouflage and roundels. (Source: 8)

24FEB07

Trucked
to Caloundra on loan to QAM.

The
aircraft is currently fitted with a Rolls Royce Merlin Mk. 25 (s/n 104543)
from a Mosquito. (Source: 9)

23FEB11

QAM
was advised that a sale was under negotiation. QAM was not given an opportunity
to bid for the aircraft.

06MAY11

Ownership
passed to Martin Cobb of the UK.

09MAY11

Aircraft
removed from Hangar 1 for dismantling by owner's agent prior to shipping
to the UK. To fit the aircraft in the shipping container, one propeller
blade was sawn off by the owner's agent. This propeller was originally donated
to Barry Coran by QAM for incorporation in the rebuild of LZ844.

Department
of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts Annual
Report on the operation of the Protection of Movable Cultural
Heritage Act 1986 and the administration of the National Cultural
Heritage Account 1999–2000.
http://www.arts.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/83383/annual1999.pdf

Special
thanks to Peter Arnold for his assistance in the compilation
of this history.